In this interview, Lisa Dressler, Executive Director of the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce, shares her insights on community building, leadership, and creating a lasting legacy.

Discover how strategic planning, relationship focus, and resilience drive success in complex organizations.

Key Takeaways

• Community building and leadership are essential for building a lasting legacy
• Crisis creates opportunity
• Leaders provide a true north during tough times
• The Southeaste Alberta Chamber of Commerce has won multiple awards, including Chamber of the Year
• Chambers provide common ground for a wide variety of perspectives, while addressing the unique needs in specific areas
• The Southeast Chamber is 125 years old
• Boards and staff need to have the right level of diverse skill sets and a positive attitude to serve members at the highest level
• Chambers need to adapt to the times, especially by being leaders in the use of current tools like AI and multiple social media platforms

About Lisa Dressler

Lisa is a dedicated community builder and advocate for regional growth who leverages her network, resources, and passion through the Chamber of Commerce to drive meaningful change for local businesses. Her commitment to the network spans local, provincial, and national levels, having served as President of both Alberta Chamber Executives (ACE) and Chamber of Commerce Executives of Canada (CCEC).

Throughout her career, Lisa has driven progress through extensive committee work—spanning governance, finance, policy, and mentorship—and even founded a local Executive Director network to foster regional collaboration. An Accredited Chamber Executive who led her Chamber to achieve Accredited Chamber with Distinction status, her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including ACE Executive of the Year, Medicine Hat’s Top 40 Under 40, a Women in Business Inspire Award, and multiple Alberta Chamber of the Year titles. She remains deeply committed to elevating association management, empowering her team, and harnessing the collective voice of the Chamber network for lasting success.

Executive Wins Website page for Lisa's episode: https://executivewins.com/ew-076-how-to-build-an-award-winning-chamber-of-commerce-winning-with-lisa-dressler-executive-director-of-the-southeast-alberta-chamber-of-commerce/

The audio version will be available on all major podcasting platforms including Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/executive-wins-podcast/id1790324798 and Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1P1NEQVF744tV6xEjm5vRC 

Youtube version: https://youtu.be/1RdKYrKLnBA

Promo Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tMDLpncbXqap8zRfWvmAe5ARqkasXMTQ/view?usp=sharing